We consider Gabor frames e 2πibm· g(· − ak) m,k∈Z with translation parameter a = L/2, modulation parameter b ∈ (0, 2/L) and a window function g ∈ C n (R) supported on [x 0 , x 0 + L] and non-zero on (x 0 , x 0 + L) for L > 0 and x 0 ∈ R. The set of all dual windows h ∈ L 2 (R) with sufficiently small support is parametrized by 1-periodic measurable functions z. Each dual window h is given explicitly in terms of the function z in such a way that desirable properties (e.g., symmetry, boundedness and smoothness) of h are directly linked to z. We derive easily verifiable conditions on the function z that guarantee, in fact, characterize, compactly supported dual windows h with the same smoothness, i.e., h ∈ C n (R). The construction of dual windows is valid for all values of the smoothness index n ∈ Z ≥0 ∪ {∞} and for all values of the modulation parameter b < 2/L; since a = L/2, this allows for arbitrarily small redundancy (ab) −1 > 1. We show that the smoothness of h is optimal, i.e., if g / ∈ C n+1 (R) then, in general, a dual window h in C n+1 (R) does not exist.2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 42C15. Secondary: 42A60